


Bonfire

by beefcakemish



Series: Misc. Drabbles [23]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, M/M, Referenced Canon Character Deaths, slight PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-26 12:40:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20389855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beefcakemish/pseuds/beefcakemish
Summary: Dean and Cas are at an Autumn festival when Dean gets overwhelmed by memories he'd rather forget.





	Bonfire

Dean almost doubles over when he smells the fire. The scent of the gasoline and burning wood is nearly enough to make him gag, but sheer determination keeps the two caramel apples, and the funnel cake down.

He spins around searching for the source, and finds a large pile of wood towards the center of the festival engulfed in large flames. People huddle in closer as the fire scales itself back, working on burning the larger logs and branches, no longer fed by the light kindling. A whiff of smoke blows past him again, and Dean takes a breath through his mouth. He can’t tell if that’s any better.

_The cabin at the lake. The burning pyre._

_Kelly. _

** _Cas._ **

Images filter through his brain on fast forward. Memories triggered by a damn bonfire. He huffs a laugh, followed by a ‘son of a bitch’, noting the light hysteria in his own voice. Of all the times he’s watched friends die, and even his own mother burning, apparently Cas’ was the one to give him a slight case of PTSD. He should have known.

By now Cas has noticed his absence, and circled back to stand beside him. Cas asks if he’s okay, and Dean assures him he’s fine, not that Cas believes him in the slightest, but he drops the subject anyway. Dean doesn’t argue when Cas claims to be tired minutes later, and suggests they head back to the hotel.

Sam had suggested a while back that they start splitting two rooms when they were on cases. Even though neither Jack nor Cas slept, it still looked suspicious to have three grown men and a teenager sharing two beds. Dean was grateful for the suggestion now.

As he undressed, Dean shoved his clothes, and Cas’, into a spare garbage bag. Though Cas’ confusion read clearly on his face, he allowed Dean to draw him into the bed, pulling Cas toward his body. One arm around pulled tight around his waist, and the other around his chest.

Dean felt the thump of Cas’ heart underneath his palm if he focused hard enough, and allowed it to calm himself. Each beat a reminder that Cas was alive, forcing those awful memories away.


End file.
